Primary Industry
Issue No. 4 - February/March 2002
Rock solid prospects
More than 70 per cent of South Australia’s building-stone production is exported into a domestic and world market that is set to quadruple in size during the next 20 years. Blessed with “infinite” quarryable resources and a stone-friendly building tradition, our state has an opportunity to exploit a major international trend.
“It is almost folklore within the stone industry that the value of world stone production is greater than that of gold, yet nobody outside of the industry recognises this,” states a 2000 seminal report on South Australia’s stone industry, which helped to organise the industry nationally.
Going by raw price, stone has the same value level as many other mineral products, but the value-adding component of stone can be as much as six times—much higher than other mineral products.
Global turnover for the stone industry in 2000 was about $25 billion, which the industry forecasts will rise to $100 billion during the next 20 years. Averaging five per cent per annum growth during the 1980s, the value growth rate for the industry worldwide exceeded 10 per cent through the 1990s.
Several factors drive this growth, such as new quarrying technology (diamond wire, lasers, water jets) and manufacturing advances that have made stone products generally cheaper and lighter in weight. Boredom with concrete and clay-based brick alternatives in the world’s developed countries and the environmental friendliness of stone are also important.
“Building stone is a natural material that is highly durable, prestigious and environmentally friendly,” says Mike Ramsey, executive officer of the new Stone Industry Association of SA. “Local building stone is very cost effective over the lifespan of the product and our infinite reserves will allow our industry to position itself for growth.”
Mike came to the post from a management position in the Martin Group and an 18-...
